


Parental Control: Chapter 9

by littlesalemwinchester74



Series: Parental Control [9]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Destiel - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-14
Updated: 2016-03-14
Packaged: 2018-05-26 14:45:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6243799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlesalemwinchester74/pseuds/littlesalemwinchester74
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The cat's out of the bag and the next contestant is introduced. Also known as Dean Finds Out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Parental Control: Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**

> Well, we're just coming right along, aren't we?

Dean pulled into an empty space in the parking lot in front of Penny’s at 6:58. He had put off leaving as long as he could and then run into traffic that was uncharacteristic for a Sunday evening in Lawrence. He glanced around the lot, looking for Cassie’s blue pickup, but he couldn’t find it. He shrugged and decided it was better to wait inside than to sit in his car all night.  
Inside the diner was warm and noisy. There were several families with young kids scattered around the dining room, and Dean silently cursed his luck. He should have picked a restaurant that catered to an older crowd so he and Cassie could make out over dinner without an underage audience. He was looking for the table with the fewest childish neighbors when a perky blonde waitress approached him.  
“You must be Dean,” she said by way of introduction, though now he could see that her name tag read Alice.  
“Who’s asking?” He might have been waiting for someone, but Alice was pretty with curves in all the right places and it wasn’t like he and Cassie were exclusive.  
“Your party is waiting for you in the banquet room.”  
That was weird. It was just him and Cassie, there was no need for the banquet room. Maybe Cassie had seen the crowds of kids and her thoughts had gone in the same direction as Dean’s? Maybe she wanted the privacy? That thought lifted Dean’s spirits considerably and he followed Alice through the curtain and down a short hallway to the banquet room.  
When he walked in, though, his spirits plummeted back down to the sub-basement level. Waiting for him in the large, brightly lit room was not Cassie but his family, accompanied by a couple of people he’d never met. Dean eyed them all with a mix of confusion and suspicion—when the entire Winchester family convened and it wasn’t a holiday, it never meant good news.  
Even Sam was there. It must have been a really serious situation for Sam to have flown out all the way from California, though it clearly wasn’t life-altering enough to warrant Jessica coming along. Adam’s girlfriend Sarah was also missing. Dean assumed that the old couple were business associates of Dad’s or something.  
“Guys? What’s going on?”  
“I’ll leave you to it,” Alice said as she closed the door behind herself.  
“Dean, pleasure to meet you,” the older guy Dean didn’t know boomed, coming forward with his hand extended. “I’m Zachariah and this is my wife, Naomi.”  
The woman who looked like an old-fashioned schoolmarm also held her hand out for Dean to shake. He knew the look on his face must have been bordering on comical it was so confused, but he couldn’t seem to make his brain work right. Who were these people, and what did they want with him? What could they possibly have to say that was so important it warranted gathering his entire family in one room?  
“What’s going on?” he asked again.  
John stepped forward and clapped a hand on Dean’s shoulder. “Well, son, we’ve decided it’s time to make a change. See, Sam’s engaged. Adam and Sarah are headed that way. But you’re older than both of them and you’re not anywhere close to settling down. Your mother and I think it’s time to change that.”  
Dean felt how high his eyebrows were as he turned to his mom. He felt the betrayal start to seep in beneath the shock.  
“Mom?”  
Mary looked simultaneously irritated and embarrassed. “It was your father’s idea.”  
John threw Mary a filthy look. “Yes, thank you, Mary.”  
“So who’re the stiffs?” Dean heard the anger in his voice. “What do they have to do with anything?”  
“Ah, yes. Zachariah and Naomi. They’re here to help. Zachariah directs and produces this TV show. Your mother, Kate and I have each picked a contestant. A girl. You’ll spend some time with each girl and then at the end, you’ll pick which one you want to keep. Which one you want to be with. And it’ll all be televised!”  
“And if I don’t want to do it?”  
“Dean, please. Be rational. This is a good thing!”  
“Well, for all we know, you’ve wasted your time, Dad. I met a girl. I’m supposed to be on a date with her right now, not all of you. She could be my happily ever after, so why don’t you send your little TV show back to where it came from?”  
“You mean Cassie?”

When John said Cassie’s name, a flash of doubt made Dean’s heart beat irregularly. “How do you know about Cassie?”  
“Because she was my choice. You didn’t meet her by chance.”  
Dean struggled to keep a leash on his temper, but it was quickly slipping. “So you’ve decided to take my life into your hands and try to force me to fall in love for a TV show?!” The anger snapped and Dean saw red.  
“I can’t believe you! All of you! How can you do this? Jo? How can you stand there and let them do this? How could you lead me to Cassie?” He was horrified to find himself near tears. “And Mom. Mom? Why? Why did you let Dad get away with this? You always said you loved me just the way I was, even if I was different than Sam and Adam and Jo. So why are you trying to change me?”  
“Dean, please calm down,” Mary begged. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Please just let us explain.”  
“Don’t you ‘sweetheart’ me!” Dean shouted. “Don’t! I don’t want anything from any of you, you hear me? I don’t want to be a part of this stupid TV show, I don’t want to date any of your desperate little girls, and I don’t want any of you to talk to me.”  
Dean turned to storm back out of the room only to almost run smack into another woman. He supposed she was beautiful, but he was still seeing red. His anger distorted everything, but her expression did make it through the fog.  
“You must be Dean,” she said sarcastically.  
“What’s it to you?” he spat back.  
One eyebrow quirked and distaste colored her voice. “Wow. I was brought here to meet a hot guy with commitment problems, not an immature child with an attitude. What are you so pissed about, anyway? So your family took steps to help you find happiness. Boo-hoo, princess.”  
“How would you feel if your family did the same?”  
“I wouldn’t know, I don’t have a family.” Her retort was acidic. “Whatever. I’m not sticking around for this. Give me a call if you decide to get over yourself.” The woman turned and stalked out, leaving everyone shocked and silent in her wake.  
Dean finally recovered, threw one last disgusted look at his family, and fled the diner before he could break down and cry in front of everyone.

**Author's Note:**

> So Dean knows. Who do you think the second contestant is? Leave a comment. Let me know. Or comment even if you don't want to guess. Just comment. I love comments. I like to talk to you guys. You're awesome. Has anyone told you that today? Well I will. You're awesome and beautiful and smart and funny and strong enough. YOU CAN. Whatever challenge you're facing, YOU CAN DO IT. I believe in you. Also, I am a safe space. If you need to talk, if you need to vent, I am one hundred percent here to listen. Feeling lost or alone? I'm here. Feeling angry? I'm here. Feeling like there's nowhere to go? I'm here. Please, please, PLEASE realize how precious your life is. I am begging you. If you EVER need ANYTHING, I AM HERE FOR YOU.


End file.
